The government’s new tenancy rules have created massive uncertainty in the rental market and resulted in a tsunami of evictions, according to Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne.
Deputy Hearne, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said:
“The latest data from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) shows that rents are continuing to rise while the number of evictions has increased.
“There has been a 35 per cent increase in termination notices issued by landlords to tenants in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year. Between July and September, a staggering 5,405 notices were issued to tenants. This brings the total number of termination notices to 14,826 for the first nine months of this year.
“Significantly, 3,307 – or 61 per cent – of notices of termination received in Q3 of 2025 were issued because the landlord intends to sell the property – in other words, the tenant was not at fault. The Social Democrats have consistently called for a no-fault eviction ban to protect tenants in the event of a sale.
“The flood of evictions I warned about when the Housing Minister announced his chaotic and confusing changes to rent regulations have now come to pass. The changes have resulted in massive instability in the rental market and incentivised economic evictions in the run up to March next year, when landlords will be able to charge market rents for new tenancies.
“Just this week I’ve been dealing with cases in my constituency where distraught families facing eviction say they can’t sleep at night because they are worrying about where they will go.
“How are they expected to find somewhere else to live with rents in Dublin now costing between €2,000 and €3,000 a month?
“This is a social catastrophe created by government policy that has put the interests of investor landlords ahead of tenants who have paid their rent and done nothing wrong.”
November 27, 2025